Despite lost playoff hopes, Cowboys hang on to beat Buccaneers as they look to future

Even though the final score indicated a close game, the Dallas Cowboys’ 26-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday night felt much more decisive.

The Cowboys learned earlier in the day that their slim playoff hopes had ended, but they came out strong and led wire-to-wire against an NFC contender.

There was a lot to take away from the game on both sides of the ball. But in the second half, it was the defense that stole the show.

“We wanted to win for each other, so we did,” quarterback Cooper Rush told NBC after the game.

What happened Sunday night — and what can still happen — will play a role in determining what the future looks like past 2024.

Pause on McCarthy, what about Zimmer?

After the Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention before Sunday’s game, questions about head coach Mike McCarthy’s job status were thrown back into the forefront. There will be a hotly contested debate that will be had when the season ends about whether he has accomplished enough to return, but there might be an easier conversation to have about defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

It was a messy return to the NFL for Zimmer in the team’s first few games, as his defense allowed more rushing yards through three weeks (557) than any team since 1963. But as the season progressed and his defense adjusted, it has emerged as one of the more improved units in the NFL.

On Sunday, Zimmer’s crew limited a Tampa Bay offense that led the NFL with 31.6 points per game on the road to 24 points. The Buccaneers found success, but it wasn’t nearly at the pace that they had been used to away from home.

“To be on the rise at the end of the season as a defense is definitely good,” defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa said postgame. “It just speaks to the drive and the persistence of everyone.”

And Dallas did it without its lead communicator in linebacker Eric Kendricks.

In all, Zimmer is quietly putting himself firmly in the mix to return to Dallas in 2025 with his defense’s improved play on the back half of the season.

Rush’s show

Every quarterback on the roster not named Dak Prescott is due to be a free agent when the league year opens on March 14, and decisions will have to be made by the Dallas front office on who it wants to bring back to backup Prescott.

Both Rush and Trey Lance should go into free agency with the objective of finding a primary backup role, but only one can earn that spot in Dallas. Yes, the Cowboys burned a fourth-round pick on bringing in Lance for a tryout, and it’s OK to admit it didn’t work out. Bringing back Rush is the right thing to do.

Rush has proven time and again that he can manage the offense when Prescott goes down. And now with two season-ending injuries and an extended absence in 2022 on the books for Prescott, prioritizing the backup quarterback position is absolutely necessary for the next four years on his contract.

On Sunday night, Rush got the Dallas offense rolling and it never looked back.

“Guys were stepping in,” Rush said postgame. “Whoever was in there made the catches when they needed to...We had a good plan going in. Guys kept running and making plays.”

In his last six games, Rush has thrown for 1,485 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. It’s that type of consistency that is required at the backup quarterback spot, and he’s been a reliable contributor each time he’s been called on.

Prescott had thrown for 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the eight games he played before being injured.

Pay the free agents

It’s going to be tough to figure out the cap space available to the Dallas front office going into 2025 free agency, but there are multiple current players that will have to be figured out in order to bring them back.

Unlike the 2024 offseason when the team let 11 free agents depart, in 2025 Dallas should try and get guys like cornerback Jourdan Lewis, running back Rico Dowdle, defensive end Chauncey Golston, defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa and wide receiver KaVontae Turpin back into the fold.

With a fully healthy team around those returnees, the Cowboys could use the services of experience on both sides, specifically as it pertains to experience already playing in Dallas.

The “burn it all down” sentiment can be understood after the season Dallas has had, but it’s hard to look past what these players have done in recent weeks — especially those playing in their final contract year.

Unleashing the pass rush

It took almost 25 minutes of gametime for the Dallas defense to sack Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, but when the pass rush came alive, it never went away.

As the second half carried on, multiple Cowboys pass rushers got to Mayfield for four sacks on the night. It was especially evident in the fourth quarter, as multiple hits on Mayfield briefly forced him into the concussion protocol.

Zimmer has become increasingly comfortable in unleashing multiple players on the quarterback, such as safety Donovan Wilson who got a sack for the third time in four games. On a defense that has the most six-sack games in the NFL (three) this season, having multiple weapons at its disposal has been a big reason for the overall unit’s growth in December.

“I got to credit it to complementary football,” defensive end Chauncey Golston said postgame. “Offense is doing their job and forcing the team to have to pass the ball. And then we do what we’re paid to do.”

Some things stay the same

Is there any more that can be said about CeeDee Lamb?

In a season that has seen a steady dose of injuries slow down the offense, including to his starting quarterback, Lamb has still had one of the most productive seasons for a receiver in the NFL — with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder for the last eight weeks.

Lamb’s six receptions put him over 100 catches on the season for the third consecutive season, and his 100 yards pushed his season total to 1,189 with two games to go.

“He’s a warrior,” Rush said. “He’s as tough as they come. He’s out there moving around. Throw it to him or hand it to him, it felt good to get him down the field tonight.”

Even on a day where the Cowboys’ playoff hopes officially left the stadium before they even lined up, Lamb’s consistency has remained. If anything can be learned from 2024, Dallas knows it has 88 to build around for years to come.